The Microtelecom Business Model
The VNL team has direct experience in bringing new services to rural communities in India.
Based on this experience, we have developed a “microtelecom business model” aimed at helping operators scale their rural businesses at maximum speed and with minimal exposure.
The microtelecom business model has been summarised in a white paper,
“The Microtelecom Business Model“.
The model centers around local stakeholder entrepreneurs who partner with operators to deliver mobile services within their communities.
Similar models have been tried and tested in India, with examples of success ranging from the early telecom boom (based on local phone owners) to more recent Internet kiosks, cable television franchises and banking “correspondents”.
“A 10% increase in a country’s level of mobile penetration results in a 1.2% increase in GDP.”
- GSM Association
The microtelecom model allows operators to break up the significant infrastructure and operations investment into smaller chunks that can be shared with local entrepreneurs — often as their second or third business.
Just as VNL’s technology is designed for purpose, the microtelecom business model is specifically targeted at rural populations — especially India’s rural economy and its national commercial infrastructure.